iPhone 13 Pro + Amsterdam
What's the result when an über tourist, armed with an iPhone 13 Pro, visits the picturesque city of Amsterdam?
Going to Amsterdam has been something I've wanted to do for years. And after learning a bit of difficult medical news of a family member earlier this year, the importance of making the items on our bucket lists a reality was put into new perspective. Europe, particularly visiting The Netherlands, was on that list.
Funnily enough, this trip started off planned as an autumn trip to Montreal; but with Canada being so vast and flights across the continent so expensive, the difference between a flight to Montreal and a flight to Amsterdam amounted to a couple of hundred dollars and an extra 2 hours of flying time. Sorry Canada, Europe won this round.
Like my earlier trip to Newfoundland in July, I wanted to share a small gallery of photos, this time captured with the iPhone 13 Pro.
Gallery
ISO 32 · 13mm Camera · ƒ/1.8 · 1/292 · Edited in Darkroom
You wouldn't honestly expect me to go all the way to Amsterdam and not post a photo (or two) of bikes, canals, and charming rows of historic homes, would you? The only thing missing is some cheese, tulips, and a windmill or two to round out the cliche.
What struck me about this photo is that it was taken with the iPhone 13 Pro's ultrawide camera, which has been vastly improved since its debut on the 11 Pro. The image's lack of distortion near the edges and overall sharpness is far beyond anything the iPhone was capable of a few years earlier.
ISO 32 · 32mm Camera · ƒ/2.8 · 1/544 · Edited in Darkroom
Bleary-eyed from a red-eye flight over the arctic, I woke up to see a wind farm in the Atlantic Ocean greet me on my descent into Holland. Though I don't take an abundance of telephoto photos, there are instances like this when having that extra bit of reach comes in handy. One nuisance I ran into was with the LiDAR sensor used to focus photos; I was having a hell of a time getting the iPhone to focus outside the cabin and not on the aircraft window, nearly missing this shot.
ISO 32 · 13mm Camera · ƒ/1.8 · 1/1248 · Edited in Darkroom
This photo is an example of me using the iPhone's Live Photo to create a long exposure of a canal. I love using this option, especially when shooting around water, as it adds character and new textures to the shot. Here the water in the canal almost takes on the appearance of linen or ice. But the trick with these photos is to 1) hold the phone incredibly steady and 2) plan ahead - as the Live Photo captures the image a second or two before & after you press the shutter button. I had many potential long exposures spoiled because I moved the camera either before or shortly after hitting the shutter button.
ISO 1000 · 26mm Camera · ƒ/1.5 · 1/20 · Edited in Darkroom
There are 1.25 bikes for every person in The Netherlands, and in my week as a clueless tourist, I was probably honked at, almost run over by, or took photos of nearly all of them. Cyclists run the roost in Amsterdam, and pictures like this of a busy Saturday night in De Pijp drive (bike?) that home. A distinctive talent is how the Dutch manage to find their bike in this sea of chrome after imbibing in a few drinks.
Photos like this made me incredibly thankful for sensor stabilization and the increased sensor size on the iPhone 13 Pro - creating a handheld twilight shot that retains sharpness and detail in diminishing light.
ISO 32 · 13mm Camera · ƒ/1.8 · 1/1033 · Edited in Darkroom
The Royal Palace of Amsterdam was captured with the phone nearly touching the ground and the lack of people was achieved by arriving earlier in the morning before the hot dog carts and tourists showed up. Just me & the pigeons for this shot. I habitually take so many photos at chest height, but changing my shooting height helps images take on a novel, more creative dimension; in this case, of the palace emerging over the curvature of the plaza.
ISO 125 · 26mm Camera · ƒ/1.5 · 1/75 · Edited in Darkroom
I'm among the throngs of people still gushing over the new macro mode in the latest iPhone 13 Pro. This photo was captured on a rainy day in Vondelpark, as the leaves in Amsterdam were only beginning to yellow. I'm impressed by the detail captured in the leaf and the iPhone's bokeh effect in this macro.
ISO 500 · 26mm Camera · ƒ/1.5 · 1/25 · Edited in Darkroom
An early evening photo taken just north of the infamous Red Light district. The iPhone was not only able to capture the detail of houses despite the low light, but it was able to sharply capture a swan in motion and even the faintest details of the overcast sky.
ISO 1000 · 26mm Camera · ƒ/1.5 · 1/8 · Edited in Darkroom
Bikes: Check! Canal: Check! An adorable row of historic homes: Check! The triple threat is back in this nighttime photo taken over the Herengracht Canal. This photo was taken on a tripod mount, with a 1/8 second night-mode exposure through the camera app. The sensor size and added stability allowed the iPhone to capture an image with incredible contrast and sharpness - from the dark ripples on the water to the dinner party being hosted across the canal.
ISO 640 · 26mm Camera · ƒ/1.5 · 9.0 · Shot in Spectre/Edited in Darkroom
I confess that I am always tempted to take photos of famous works of art whenever I'm in a museum. I know I could google the image and would likely find a much higher resolution version of the image online, but the compulsion remains. I refrained (a little) this time around, but I couldn't help take a photo of a crowd admiring one of Van Gogh's self-portraits from 1887 at the Rijksmuseum. Sensor stabilization, a steady hand, and incredible software all worked synchronously to produce this handheld 9-second long exposure in Spectre.
ISO 50 · 26mm Camera · ƒ/1.5 · 3.0 · Shot in Spectre/Edited in Darkroom
The final photo in this gallery is of the historic Hirsch & Cie building, home of the flagship Apple Store in The Netherlands since 2012. A breathtaking store recently updated in 2019 features a massive video wall, live plants, spiral glass staircase, and oh... lots of Apple products!
Shot at waist height, this photo was captured as a 3-second handheld long exposure as a tram passed in front of the store. Looking through the tram's movement still reveals the sharp details of the building's architecture behind it!
In Sum
The iPhone 13 continues to push the envelope in its performance, capability, and camera quality. And using it was a joy during my trip. The improvements to the sensor's size, increased 3x zoom, sensor stabilization, and macro photography all came into play during my 7-day trek along the canals of Amsterdam. Having my entire workflow - from shot to post-production - done on the iPhone with a battery that lasted from 08:00 in the morning until past midnight each day was beyond exceptional.
